Lacrosse Head Netting Adjustment Mechanism

ABSTRACT

A lacrosse head includes an open frame having a throat portion for receiving a handle, a ballstop portion, a pair of opposing sidewall portions, and a scoop. The open frame includes a plurality of net attachment structures to facilitate attachment of a netting to the head. The lacrosse head also includes an adjustment mechanism disposed therein that is in communication with at least one net attachment structure to engage one or more straps of an attached netting. The adjustment mechanism is moveable between a retracted position and a securing position to allow a player to configure the pocket to meet their playing capabilities.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present invention claims priority from U.S. Provisional ApplicationSer. No. 60/764,274, filed Feb. 1, 2006, and entitled “Lacrosse HeadNetting Adjustment Mechanism”, which is hereby incorporated by referenceas though set forth fully herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to a lacrosse head, and moreparticularly to a lacrosse head having a built-in adjustment system forcommunicating with an attached netting and allowing adjustment of thedepth of a pocket formed in the netting.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Lacrosse heads for use in the game of lacrosse are well-known and takeon a variety of different configurations. Current lacrosse heads aretypically manufactured by injection molding processes and are secured toa lacrosse handle for use in play. The structure of current lacrosseheads is commonly defined by a ballstop portion that is disposedadjacent to the connection of the handle, a pair of opposing sidewallportions that generally extend from the ballstop portion, and a scoopportion that connects the ends of the pair of opposing sidewall portionsopposite the ballstop portion. Lacrosse heads are also intended toreceive a netting thereon that connects to all or some of the ballstopportion, the pair of opposing sidewall portions, and the scoop portion.The netting is intended to retain a lacrosse ball therein.

The scoop portion on current lacrosse heads has a generally smooth andplanar inner surface. The smooth planar inner surface is intended tofacilitate scooping of ground balls. As is also known, lacrosse headsfor use by women are not allowed to have a pocket formed in the nettingunder some rules. As such, when the ball is thrown, passed, or shot ittypically contacts the inner surface of the scoop when it is caused toexit the head.

It is also understood that certain players, besides those mandated byrules, prefer to string their lacrosse heads with shallow pockets or nopockets. This is done by a variety of different players, including quickforwards or players who desire a quicker release of the lacrosse balland those who desire the ability to pass the ball over longer distances.

It is known that stringing a netting to a head is a labor intensive andrelatively time consuming manual process. Currently, heads that are soldstrung (with netting attached) typically have no pocket. Regardless,most players customize their pocket to fit their needs. However,adjustment of the stringing configuration is also a time consumingprocess that requires a substantial amount of stick down time. It isalso relatively cumbersome and requires untying and retying knots.Because players are extremely particular about the configurations of thepocket in their lacrosse heads, once they have the pocket configured ina certain manner, they want it to remain in that configuration for aslong as possible. This is because the pocket depth and configurationprovide certain performance characteristics.

One proposed solution to this problem with netting adjustabilityinvolved a lacrosse head having a bar at the underside of the frame thatwas moveable between an open position and a closed position. In the openposition, the length of the netting straps and thus the depth of thepocket could be adjusted by the player. In the closed position, the barengaged the netting straps to keep them in position. However, the bardid not sufficiently retain the straps in the player-desired position asthe straps slipped during play, and thus the pocket configuration didnot remain fixed. Thus, currently, there is no mechanism that allows foreasy adjustment of a netting once it is secured to the head and alsoretains the netting in that position once adjusted.

It would therefore be desirable to provide a fast and easy system toallow adjustment of the netting and pocket of a lacrosse head onceattached to the head. It would also be desirable to provide a systemthat allows a player to adjust the configuration of the nettingincluding the pocket depth, with little or no down time for theparticular lacrosse head. It would further be desirable to provide sucha system that, once adjusted, would retain that stringing in the desiredposition for long periods of time until otherwise dictated by theplayer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an advantage of the present invention to provide alacrosse head with an adjustment mechanism that allows a netting to bequickly and easily adjusted once attached to the head.

It is another advantage of the present invention to provide a lacrossehead with an adjustment mechanism that allows a player to adjust thedepth of the pocket and be retained in that position until adjustedagain by the player.

It is a further advantage of the present invention to provide a lacrossehead with an adjustment mechanism that allows a player to adjust thedepth of a pocket and therefore provide different playingcharacteristics.

It is still another advantage of the present invention to provide alacrosse head with an adjustment mechanism that allows the depth of apocket to be quickly adjusted during play without having to unstring thehead and without having to untie and retie knots.

In accordance with the above and the other advantages of the presentinvention, a lacrosse head is provided. The lacrosse head includes anopen frame having a throat portion for receiving a handle, a ballstopportion, a pair of opposing sidewall portions, and a scoop. The openframe includes a plurality of net attachment structures to facilitateattachment of a netting to the head. The lacrosse head also includes anadjustment mechanism disposed therein that is in communication with atleast one net attachment structure to engage one or more straps of thenetting that communicates therewith. The adjustment mechanism can bemoved between a retracted position and a securing position. In theretracted position, the straps can freely move with respect to the netattachment structures to allow adjustment of their lengths and thus thedepth of the pocket. In the securing position, the straps are retainedin position and prevented from moving to fix the netting in theplayer-desired configuration.

Other advantages of the present invention will become apparent whenviewed in light of the detailed description of the preferred embodimentwhen taken in conjunction with the attached drawings and appendedclaims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view of a lacrosse head with a netting adjustmentmechanism retaining the netting in a configuration with a deep pocket inaccordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of a lacrosse head with the adjustment mechanismretaining the netting in a configuration with a shallower pocket inaccordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a lacrosse head with a nettingadjustment mechanism in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the lacrosse head of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a top view of the lacrosse head of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the lacrosse head of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is an end view of the netting adjustment mechanism in a retractedposition, which allows adjustment of a netting, in accordance with apreferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the netting adjustment mechanism ofFIG. 2 in the direction of the arrows 8, shown in a securing position,which retains the netting in a fixed position;

FIG. 9 is a side view of a netting adjustment mechanism in accordancewith a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a top view of the netting attachment mechanism of FIG. 7; and

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a tool for engaging a nettingadjustment in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFFERED EMBODIMENTS

In the following figures, the same reference numerals are used toidentify the same components in the various views.

Referring primarily to FIGS. 1 through 7, which generally illustrateviews of a lacrosse head 10 in accordance with the present inventionwith a mechanism that allows quick and easy adjustment of a netting thatis attached to the head to vary the pocket configuration and/or depth.The lacrosse head 10, as illustrated in FIGS. 1-2, includes a pocket 12,the depth of which can be adjusted, according to one embodiment of thepresent invention. For purposes of illustration, FIG. 1 illustrates thelacrosse head 10 with a deep pocket 12 formed in the attached netting30. In accordance with one embodiment, the attached netting 30 can beadjusted such that the depth of the pocket 12 is reduced from the depthshown in FIG. 1 to a shallower depth, as shown in FIG. 2. It will beunderstood that the mechanism of the present invention allows the depthof the pocket 12 to be adjusted to a variety of different heights andconfigurations as desired by a player and still fall within the scope ofthe present invention.

As best illustrated in FIG. 3, the lacrosse head 10 includes a pair ofopposing sidewall portions 14, a scoop portion 16 extending between thetop ends of the sidewall portions 14, and a ballstop portion 18 disposedopposite the scoop portion 16. The pair of opposing sidewall portions14, the scoop portion 16, and the ballstop portion 18 together form aunitary frame. The frame has an upper portion that defines a ballreceiving portion 40 where the ball enters and exits the frame and aball retention portion 42 opposite the ball receiving portion. Thelacrosse head 10, as best shown in FIG. 1, also includes a plurality ofnet attachment structures 22 that facilitate attachment of the netting30 to the head 10.

In the illustrated embodiment, the net attachment structures 22 arepreferably openings that allow the netting 30 to pass therethrough tofacilitate attachment to the head 10. It will be understood that the netattachment structures 22 can take on a variety of differentconfigurations. The net attachment structures 22 are preferably formedin the ball retention portion of the head 10, as best shown in FIGS. 3and 5. The lacrosse head 10 also includes a throat portion 20 thatextends rearwardly from the ballstop portion 18 for engagement with ahandle. It will be understood that the handle can be attached andsecured to the head 10 in a variety of different ways. The head 10 andhandle together form a lacrosse stick. The lacrosse head 10 ispreferably constructed of a plastic material, such as through aninjection molding process. However, the lacrosse head 10 can be formedof other materials, such as composites, and can be formed by othersuitable processes.

In accordance with the present invention, and as shown in FIGS. 6through 8, the lacrosse head 10 includes a netting adjustment mechanism24. The netting adjustment mechanism 24 allows the netting 30 to beadjusted after it has been secured to the head 10 to change the depthand configuration of the pocket 12. The netting adjustment mechanism 24allows a player to easily adjust the netting 30, such as during a gameand does not require the untying and retying of knots to effectuateadjustment as is currently required. Further, once the netting 30 isadjusted to the player's desired configuration, including depth andlocation of the pocket 12, the netting adjustment mechanism 24 firmlyretains the netting 30 in that configuration.

In accordance with one embodiment shown in the FIGS. 6 through 8, thenetting adjustment mechanism 24 includes a plurality of screws 26disposed in the bottom side or ball retention portion 42 of the ballstopportion 18. Specifically, as shown, the plurality of screws 26 aredisposed in the head 10 such as in pretapped or predrilled openings.Alternatively, the plurality of screws 26 can be manually inserted intothe head 10 after it has been formed. The plurality of screws 26 aremoveable between a retracted position and a securing position. In theretracted position, shown in FIG. 7, the screws 26 are moved downwardly(toward the ball retention portion 42) such that they do not extend intothe openings 22 the respective leather straps 28 of the netting 30 as ispresent in traditional netting or stringing. When the screws 26 areloosened or retracted, they are disposed entirely, or almost entirely,with the plastic and allow the respective leather straps 28 to slidefreely. In the securing position, as shown in FIG. 8, the screws 26engage the straps 28 to retain them and thus the netting 30 in position.When the screws 26 are tightened, they extend into the openings 22.

The screws 26 are preferably set screws that can be tightened orloosened by a player for adjustment of the configuration of the netting30 and the pocket 12. By loosening the screws 26 away from engagementwith the straps 28, the length of the leather straps 28 can be increasedto make the pocket 12 in the head 10 deeper or can be shortened to makethe pocket 12 shallower. Once the pocket 12 has been adjusted to thedesired depth and configuration as dictated by a player, the screws 26can then be tightened such that they engage the leather straps 28 tosecure them in place.

As shown in FIG. 8, the netting adjustment mechanism 24 consists of fourscrews 26. Each of the screws 26 can be individually adjusted to eachengage and secure a respective leather strap 28. Further, because thescrews 26 have a wide range of travel, it allows the netting adjustmentmechanism 24 to accommodate straps 28 of different thickness anddifferent characteristics and still secure and retain them. Thisprovides adjustment flexibility that is not present in prior heads 10.While the netting adjustment mechanism 24 preferably consists of fourscrews 26, more or less screws may be utilized. Further, while thescrews 26 are preferably individually adjustable, it will be understoodthat they can be configured to be retracted and secured as a singleunit.

The netting adjustment mechanism 24 is preferably disposed in theballstop portion 18. However, it will be understood that the netadjustment mechanism 24 may alternatively be disposed in other portionsof the head 10, including the scoop portion 16 or the sidewall portions14. The netting adjustment mechanism 24 can also be formed in multipleportions of the head 10 to provide increased adjustment capabilities. Ifdisposed in the sidewall portions for example, the netting mechanism 24communicates with laces instead of straps.

In FIG. 6, the screws 26 preferably are integral parts of the ballstopportion 18 of the lacrosse head 10, but may be otherwise, as desired. Itwill be understood that the screws 26 may be selectively positionedalong certain advantageous portions of the ballstop portion 18, such asthe inner surface 32, which primarily contacts the lacrosse ball. Thescrews 26 may be elevated with respect to the bottom surface of the head10 or may be inset therein, such that they are flush therewith. It willbe understood that instead of screws, other suitable securing mechanismmay be utilized.

Typically, either a traditional pocket 12 (as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) ora mesh pocket extends between and is supported by the sidewall portions14, the scoop portion 16, and the ballstop portion 18 for retaining alacrosse ball within the head 10. Obviously, pockets made from othermaterials and attached in a variety of ways may be utilized. It will beunderstood that a variety of different types of nettings may beutilized. As discussed above, the netting 30 preferably is adjustable tochange the depth and configuration of the pocket 12 to allow for varioustypes of ball release and various lengths of distance throws. Fast breaklacrosse players typically adjust their pocket depth accordingly forenabling these results.

Moreover, it is known in the art that women's lacrosse heads alsotypically have pockets with shallower depths, as is regulated by rule.However, it is understood that players may desire or require lacrosseheads having pockets of shallow depth for a variety of differentreasons. Further, players may have different lacrosse heads havingvarying pocket depths depending upon what position they play. Theadjustment mechanism 24 of the present invention would allow a player toadjust the pocket 12 depth quickly—such as during a game—without theneed for multiple lacrosse heads or without the need to untie knots toloosen the laces and then retie them, which is a cumbersome process.

Referring now to FIGS. 9 and 10, an embodiment of the screws 26 isillustrated. It is understood that numerous numbers of screws 26 havingthe same or similar configurations are embodied herein, as will beunderstood by one skilled in the art. The screw 26 defines a generallyoctagonal tightening opening 34. However, numerous shapes of tighteningareas, are also embodied herein, such as Phillips and flat-headscrewdriver tightening slots. In one embodiment, the screws 26 aretightened with a tightening tool 36, such as an Allen wrench which isshown in FIG. 10. Important to note is that various other embodiments ofa tool for tightening are also included herein, such as standardwrenches or screwdrivers. The screws 26 may be off the shelf or customstainless steel heat treated course thread screws. However, it will beunderstood that a variety of different types of screws or other securingmechanism may also be utilized.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment, the tightening tool 36 issold with the lacrosse head 10 and is secured thereto by a strap 38 orthe like, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4-6. The tightening tool 36 canalso be fit at or near the ballstop portion 18 in an integral holder(not shown), which is embodied as a groove molded into the head 10. Itwill also be understood that the tightening tool 36 can be locatedanywhere on the head 10, including the sidewall portion 14, the throatportion 20, the scoop portion 16 or the ball portion 18. Alternatively,the tightening tool 36 may be sold and/or stored separately from thehead. The tightening tool 36 engages the tightening opening 34 andallows the screws 26 to be rotated between the retracted position andthe securing position.

In another embodiment, a netting adjustment mechanism 24 is fixedly orremovably coupled to the head 10. In this embodiment, the nettingadjustment mechanism 24 is utilized to clamp or sandwich the straps 28of the pocket 12 between the removable adjustment mechanism 24 and theballstop portion 18. In yet another embodiment, the screws 26 defineopenings therein, such that straps 28 from the netting 30 are fedtherein. In accordance with this embodiment, the screws 26 are tightenedwithin the head 10 and, rather than clamping the strings at a bottom orend of the screws 26, the screws 26 clamp the strings between theplastic of the head 10 and the openings in the side or middle of thescrews.

Having now fully described the invention, it will become apparent to oneof ordinary skill in the art that many changes and modifications can bemade thereto without departing from the spirit or scope of the inventionas set forth in the appending claims.

1. A lacrosse head for attachment to a lacrosse handle, comprising: athroat portion for engaging the lacrosse handle; a ballstop portion; ascoop portion; a pair of opposing sidewall portions that extendgenerally between said throat portion and said scoop portion; aplurality of net securing mechanism formed in said ballstop portion,said pair of opposing sidewall portions, and said scoop portion forsecuring a netting; an adjustment mechanism communicating with at leastone of said plurality of net securing mechanism and being moveablebetween a retracted position where a portion of said attached nettingcan move freely with respect to said respective net securing mechanismto allow adjustment of a pocket depth and a securing position where saidportion of said attached netting is engaged by said adjustment mechanismto retain said attached netting in a fixed relationship with respect tothe head.
 2. The lacrosse head of claim 1, wherein said adjustmentmechanism is disposed in said ballstop portion of the head.
 3. Thelacrosse head of claim 1, wherein said plurality of net securingmechanism consist of openings formed in the head that allow ends ofstring laces that form said netting to pass therethrough.
 4. Thelacrosse head of claim 3, wherein said adjustment mechanism consists ofa plurality of screws that are each engageable with a respective one ofsaid plurality of openings.
 5. The lacrosse head of claim 4, whereinsaid ends of string laces are leather straps.
 6. The lacrosse head ofclaim 5, wherein said plurality of screws can be loosened away fromengagement with said leather straps to allow them to be moved withrespect to said plurality of openings to adjust their length and changesaid pocket depth; and wherein said plurality of screws can be tightenedinto said securing position such that they engage said leather straps toretain said pocket depth in a fixed position.
 7. The lacrosse head ofclaim 6, wherein said plurality of screws are disposed in said ballstopportion.
 8. The lacrosse head of claim 7, wherein said plurality ofscrews extend at an angle generally perpendicular to an inner surface ofsaid ballstop portion.
 9. The lacrosse head of claim 4, furthercomprising: a tightening tool coupled to the lacrosse head, which isintended to engage the screws to move them between said retractedposition and said securing position.
 10. A lacrosse head for attachmentto a lacrosse handle to define a handle/head axis, comprising: an openframe element including a ballstop portion, a scoop portion, and a pairof opposing sidewall portions; a throat portion extending generallyrearwardly from said ballstop portion, said throat portion intended toengage the lacrosse handle; a plurality of openings formed in said frameelement to facilitate attachment of a netting to the head; an adjustmentmechanism in communication with a plurality of said plurality ofopenings, said adjustment mechanism being moveable between a retractedposition and a net securing position; wherein in said retractedposition, a player can adjust said netting, including a depth of apocket; wherein in said net securing position, said adjustment mechanismextends into said plurality of openings to engage a portion of saidnetting that passes therethrough to retain it in a fixed position. 11.The lacrosse head of claim 10, wherein said netting consists oftraditional netting with longitudinal straps that extend between saidscoop portion and said ballstop portion.
 12. The lacrosse head of claim11, wherein said adjustment mechanism includes a plurality of screwsthat are moveable between said retracted position where said straps canmove freely within said respective opening and said net securingposition where said screws engage said straps to retain them inposition.
 13. The lacrosse head of claim 12, wherein said adjustmentmechanism is disposed in said ballstop portion.
 14. The lacrosse head ofclaim 13, wherein said adjustment mechanism consists of a screw incommunication with each of said openings in said ballstop portion thatis intended to receive one of said straps.
 15. The lacrosse head ofclaim 12, further comprising: a tightening tool coupled to the lacrossehead, which is intended to engage the screws to move them between saidretracted position and said securing position.
 16. A lacrosse head,comprising: a throat portion for engaging a lacrosse handle; a ballstopportion; a scoop portion; a pair of opposing sidewall portions thatextend generally forwardly from said throat portion to said scoopportion; a plurality of openings formed in said frame element tofacilitate attachment of a netting to the head; an adjustment mechanismin communication with a plurality of said plurality of openings, andbeing moveable between a retracted position and a net securing position;and a tightening tool that is intended to engage said adjustmentmechanism to effectuate movement between said retracted position andsaid net securing position.
 17. The lacrosse had of claim 16, whereinsaid netting consists of traditional netting with longitudinal strapsthat extend between said scoop portion and said ballstop portion. 18.The lacrosse head of claim 17, wherein said adjustment mechanismincludes a plurality of screws that are moveable between said retractedposition where a player can adjust said netting including pocket depthand said net securing position wherein said adjustment mechanism engagesa portion of said straps that pass through a respective one of saidopenings to retain it in a fixed position.
 19. The lacrosse head ofclaim 18, wherein said adjustment mechanism is disposed in said ballstopportion.
 20. The lacrosse head of claim 16, wherein said tightening toolis temporarily coupled to the head.
 21. The lacrosse head of claim 16,wherein said tightening tool is coupled to a recess formed in the head.